 Hello and a big welcome to everyone participating in today's web chat on finding strength through sport. My name is Grace Shelton, and I'll be your moderator. I'm the Consul General here at the US Consulate in Karachi, Pakistan. And I'm thrilled to have with me, you'll see behind me a group of inspiring young women and men who have gathered to participate and ask questions of our distinguished panel of speakers. And on our panel today, we have with us some extraordinary young athletes from India and Pakistan, and hopefully we'll have somebody from Tajikistan maybe joining us later. All of these panelists have excelled in sports, and have been active in getting girls and young women in their communities to get involved in sports activities. These amazing women all traveled to the United States and participated in ESPN's Global Sports Mentoring Program for women. Let me introduce them. Sitting right next to me, I have Fatima Saleem. She is one of the first female sports anchors and reporters in Pakistan, and has channeled her passion for sports and sports reporting into Go Girl Pakistan. An organization that empowers Pakistani girls by engaging them in sports. Go Girl Pakistan provides girls with a safe place to play soccer and other sports via no cost clinics run by professional women coaches. Nangshi and Tashi Malik are from Haryana, India, and are joining us today from London. They are commonly known as the Everest Twins and are world famous mountaineers. They are the world's first sibling in twins, and as well as the youngest people and from South Asia to complete the adventurer's grand slam, meaning they climbed the highest peaks on every continent and also skied to the north and south poles. They founded the Nangshi Tashi Foundation to help girls gain leadership skills, employment, and ultimately empowerment through outdoor activities. They're going to act as one panelist and take turns answering questions. Now hopefully we'll have Aziza Kuyamova joining us from Dushanbe to Jikistan. Let me just tell you a little bit about her in case she is able to join us. She is the president and founder of Standard Sport and Dance Federation in Tajikistan, an independent national organization that promotes the sport of dancing. The Federation also fosters dance in Tajikistan as a means of physical education. Aziza successfully combined her passion for dance and martial arts and is now one of Tajikistan's most famous coaches. Now our final guest is Rabia Khadir who won't be on camera but is participating today via Twitter. She'll be on Twitter throughout the program helping to answer your questions and sharing her thoughts via the hashtag empower women. Rabia continues to play hockey competitively for Pakistan's national team and balances her field hockey commitments with her job as a sports anchor for multiple news stations. These exceptional women are online to talk with all of you watching from around the globe and to answer your questions. Please ask your questions via the chat space on the page next to the video player or via Twitter using the hashtag empower women. Now I'm going to just exercise my right as moderator and ask the first questions and then I'll turn it over to y'all. Oh Aziza has joined us. Hello Aziza. Great. Okay I've already introduced you. So let me ask all of you to respond briefly to my first question to my only question. What is what are some of the most difficult challenges you faced to play sports and how did you overcome them. Fatima why don't we start with you since you're here and we're going to just share a mic. So I'm not an athlete but I do work in the sports industry. So my most difficult time was when I started as a sports anchor. A lot of people, especially people who I worked with said why do you want to do this you're a girl you cannot talk about sports nobody's going to take you seriously. You can wear western clothes wear blazers and talk about sports men do that. So this was 10 years back and it was a very difficult time always sort of giving up. But I think I overcame this with the help of my family with my coworkers and the only reason I came over with this because I wanted to set an example by not quitting. So how did I overcome this I did not quit I did not give up I did my work better I researched more I didn't sleep for nights and prepare answers and so that I could be the best woman on television talking about sports. And here I am. I've been doing this for 10 years now. That is fantastic. Nanshi Tashi let's go to you please. Well, in our sport, it was certainly financial. You know, ordinary adventure sports are okay and affordable. But the kind of extreme climbing we've been doing costs huge money and unlike other sports in India such as cricket. There is very little support for mountaineering, either from government or the corporate. In India, adventure sports are not even included as sports but come under the youth affairs, surprisingly. I think equally big challenge was what I call the invisible mountains of gender discrimination and stereotypes. You know, comments like, Oh, you're a girl climbing mountains. Are you crazy? You know, who will marry you if you lose a limb? I think when we approached our mother for the permission to climb Mount Everest, she threatened to commit suicide if we ever spoke of Everest again. And later she warned us to choose between either Everest or marriage. You know, saying that they could not afford both referring to the evil practice of dowry in India. So it took us nearly three years to get past these mountains when we climbed Everest in 2013. But in any case, I mean, if our father's support wasn't with us, so we wouldn't have embarked on this journey. Okay, so again, family support was important and getting them on board. Aziza, what about you? Hello, everyone. I'm very proud to be here right now in this web chat. The first challenge of course is that we are all women. And in my country, it is also was a bit difficult for me and my sister to be in the sport because everyone is telling boys should be in sports more than girls. But right now I'm very happy that it is going to be better. The girls role in the sport and the women role in the sport are getting more in my country also. Thank you. For me, I faced this problem when I was in the martial arts, especially because people say that this is the sport for boys, not for girls. But right now there are a lot of girls who already took the championship, like champions of the world Asia and other countries. Okay. All right. Thank you. Now, I'd like to get some questions from our online and live audience for the remainder of the program. And again, for those of you joining online or viewing from watch parties at US embassies or American spaces, please ask your questions via the chat space. Next to the video player or via Twitter using the hashtag empower women. And we already have our first question, which is, how do you think playing sports in general helps girls. So why don't we start with Nungshita this time please. How do you think sports in general helps girls. Well, I have experienced that any sport you know sort of enhances self esteem and instills huge self confidence. So I think playing sports is particularly important for girls, given that you know they often suffer from sense of inferiority and low self esteem. You know, I feel playing sports also gives me that platform to have an equal sort of footing with men. So I think it makes me more confident capable. And I would say an equal human being. Well, exactly. I mean from what my sister just said, and the fact that sports are also, you know, very good in self awareness in helping us discover that inner side of us. It is also clear that you know sports have like this direct correlation to leadership. Good sports persons around the world are always you know self starters, good team builders and even very decisive. So it really really helps in the wrong long run. Fatima, I actually agree with the twins. Absolutely sports give you so much confidence as a woman. It gives you the ability to be yourself. It gives you a platform to be a leader. Sports gives you confidence control gives you the confidence to say no, and say yes whenever you feel like and I feel like when you play sports you are independent you're calling the shots, and you're unstoppable. Aziza, do you want to answer that also. How do you think playing sports in general helps girls. I totally agree with all my sisters. The confidence is the first benefit from sports for the girl especially because after being in the sports, you feel yourself more confident and you can believe on your strengths more. Okay, great. Let me just go now to the crotchie viewing audience please. Hi, I'm Arma, and I'm the student of English program. My question is, if you had to start over from current. Sorry, it's searching where you have to achieve to promote women's and it's born. What would you do differently and buy. Yeah, it was a was a bit unclear at the end. So that could be repeated. Okay. My question is, if you had to start over from current and knowing what you have to achieve in promoting women's and sports. What did you do differently and lie. Well, honestly speaking, you know, I would take this question in the sense that, you know, my advice to girls, all women get wanting to get into sports would be, you know, that apart from gender barriers and are part of the world. You know, bearing few sports like cricket, you know, sports usually don't get any financial security. And that's what further deters girls from getting into sports. So my advice would be that, you know, if you like any sport, just go for it and strive for excellence. Because I think whatever you do, you know, the progress may be slow, but at the end, you know, success will eventually come your way. So I think you need to be committed, you need to be dedicated, and you need to put in your hard work so that you could prove that you could do good, you know, coming to sport. Great. Aziza, is there anything you would have done differently? It was financially right, financial side. No, not just financially. Anything you might have done differently knowing now what you, what you know now. I'm sorry, I didn't got a good voice of that. Yes, you now have had success in sports. But if you, knowing what you know now, would you go back in the beginning and do anything differently? Okay. Any lessons that you know now? Yes, of course, being, getting experience, you can understand everything more clearly. And now I, when I will do some kind of project, I can understand how to do it better. But going back, I don't want to change something because this, that way, teach me how to do this, to be strong and how to make my success. I don't want to go back and to change anything. Okay, great. Aziza, let me just stick with you for a moment and ask, what is your proudest sports moment and why? What moment, sorry? Your sports moment that you're the most proud of. Oh, most proud. Yeah. And the sports, I think I have two of these moments. The first is when you win, of course, when you win, when you achieve your goal, the first goal is in the competitions. When you win in competitions, it is the first moment when you're proud of you and your parents are proud of you and your friends are proud of you and you feel this proudness more and more. And the second, it was when I started to be teacher, I started to teach another girls, kids, and when you feel that somebody is learning from you, and they said that, thank you, you're feeling proud of yourself that you are teaching. That's great. Yeah, super. Nancy Tashi. For me, it was dreaming of scaling Mount Everest and reaching the summit, even when I was physically very fragile looking, and most had completely ruled it out as a crazy thought. And I think the ultimate pride that we both have had is to become the world's youngest person to complete the adventurous grand slam. And then for once we have beaten even boys in a most dangerous and a challenging sport. So I think that's a proud moment for the both of us. That's great. Fatima, I mean, I can't beat climbing Mount Everest. But I think my proudest moment was when we did our first clinic of Google Pakistan. When I was fresh from the US after the global sports program and I'm like, Oh, I'm going to hear change the world. And I came here and we did the first clinic. It was a free clinic we invited all fathers to come with their daughters. So it was a daddy and me football clinic. And I thought, well, nobody's going to show up. But guess what, 100 dads with their daughters showed up and play football, and they were girls who played football for the first time. And I think that was the proudest moment I cried so much all night and nobody knew why, but it was definitely the most proudest moment ever. That's great. We have a question from our viewing group and Bishkek playing sports sometimes involves taking some risks. What helps you have the courage to take such risks. I think risk to play sports and what what helps you to get that courage. Alright, we'll go to Nungshita she first. Well, you know, in our case, when we were looking at climbing mountains, you know, there's a very thin line between life and death. And there are all sorts of risk that we have to negotiate along the route. Sometimes even make wise decision whether to proceed to the mountain or even retreat from the expedition. But one of the strongest motivation and drive that we had during these climbs was like what my sister said the invisible mountains that our women had to face back home. So we kind of drew on us trends from that episode where we would probably compare our experience to be really, really minimal to the cause we espoused. So it would really give us the courage to move on and, you know, shatter some of the stereotypes and, you know, undertake risks and then move on. So it's definitely, you know, other girls and women who face, you know, gender stereotypes and imbalances in their communities. That really drives us to perform better to take the risk, you know, positively and move on. And I think one of the biggest thing that has also aided this process is the fact that I had my sister with me because in a sport like this, you do need someone you can trust your life with, make decisions and proceed. So I'm really grateful that I had my sister with me on such a mission and that probably helped me cope with the risk that that would, you know, probably be on our way and take that positively and move on. Great. I'm going to turn to Fatima now. Okay. The question, thanks for the courage. Absolutely no risk when you're coming on TV. But yes, it's, it's not easy. It's not easy waking up every day and coming up with something and doing the show on live television every day. But I think what gives me the courage is that I have made a difference that I will empower more women if I stick to my job. So there are no risks. But yes, come, I think just the fact that you I have that platform where I can impact the women just keeps me going. And of course, I think women don't understand you need someone like they, she had her sister, I don't have a sister, but actually there's, there was someone behind me was my husband who always give me the courage to stand up and do what I'm doing and never gave up. I think that's only risk that was involved. Aziza. What, what, what helps you to have the courage to take risks in sports. People around us, of course, helping us to continue your work, because as Fatima says, it's not, it's not easy to do such a lot of functions every day. But you have people around you who are trusting on you will be living on the work on the things what you are what you are doing. And as my sisters from India says, I also have my sister behind of me, and she she's encouraging me a lot with my work with all things that we're doing with doing together. And it helps me a lot. All right, I've got a question now from our viewing group in Chennai. How do you maintain optimism or in happiness when facing the challenges of a woman playing sports. So how do you maintain because looking and hearing you, you all sound so optimistic and happy and how do you maintain that. All right, I'm going to go to Fatima first. Well, I think, once you start doing it. And once people start giving you the confidence. That's how that's how maintenance works. You have to, you have to take, you have to take all the positivity around you and not necessarily listen to all the negative things around you. That's what keeps you going. And I'm not lying. There were times when I wanted to give up because there was so much negativity. Once you learn that I don't need to hear this, hear negative thoughts, that's how you will always grow. Take all the positives takes the positives from negatives as well. And then you'll always be optimistic. Look at me sometimes I'm live and I'd say something that doesn't make sense but I try to cover it up. So that's what keeps us going. Just hear everything positive. I know people bring us down, but we just have to work your way up. And, and yeah, that's really my advice. Aziza, what about you? Of course, it is a life and you cannot win every, any time, every time being the top of the list. And sometimes you come down. And at that time, some you can understand more about things what you're doing. And actually, the results of your work helps you to continue this, this work, the work that they are doing. And the results when you see the people around our girls are more involved in the sports and a lot of people teaching from you and putting you as a leader and trusting you. Of course, you cannot put everything and going somewhere to start again. You have to continue and you have to do more and more and more. Great. And Nangshin Tashi, how do you keep your sense of optimism and happiness? I think it's so much the joy of freedom to be. For me, sports, particularly acts as a stress buster, and it instills a lot of positive energy. So I think just the fact, I mean, you're playing sports, that keeps you active and going. Well, I guess, yeah, that's been pretty much a mantra for being really active and optimistic is having this beautiful smile on even when you're like going through the toughest time and being like, oh my God, inside I'm like completely giving out. But you know, again, you know, like Fatima also said, there's, there's a lot of negative energy around, you know, when it comes to people not being appreciative of what we've done. And there's always a way to deal with that, you know, you kind of just see positive in every negative, whether it's coming from your peers, your family, your relatives, you just make everything very positive around you, you ignore the wrong comments people have to make. And you kind of take that as your strength. And, you know, having done what we have done, we know that there's this ball of fan following that keeps rolling and you know, there are more people that keep coming on board. And that gives us a great sense of accomplishment and it's really rewarding to see that there are other girls who are like, you know, bubbling with energy and, you know, are very furious to get the inner strength out and you know, show to the world who they are. So we really count on human relations and the fans that we have who support our missions. Super. Okay, now we're going to come back to Karachi for a question from our viewing audience and I've been aligned. I'm sometimes I'm holding the mic too close to my mouth. So we've got to keep the mic away from the mouth. My name is Vasiv and my question is describe one of your failure and disappointments in life. What lesson did you learn and how did it contribute to a greater success. So for me, I think growing up, there were moments where, you know, I sort of had Internet internalize an inferior state of being a girl. And that could be by, you know, by the virtue of, you know, boys telling us on the field grounds saying that kick it is not meant for girls, or that we should not hold a bat again. So you kind of like we kind of, you know, hold a very low self esteem about who we are. And then, you know, that sort of resonates with the kind of work we do now, where we, you know, talk about climbing big, you know, big high mountains and shattering some of those stereotypes, because there are times when, you know, when you, when we feel like giving up when we felt like, Oh my God, this didn't work out. Or, you know, you can kind of come into this disillusionment that what you're doing is probably not right. But again, you know, having said that, mountaineering has really helped boost our spirit. It has really, you know, inculcated the feeling of being powerful, you know, being on equal footing as men are, because it's still perceived to be a mere dominant sport. So despite, you know, that inferior state of being, you know, very inferior to men and thinking that we're low, climbing these big mountains has been a game changer and it has really helped us evolve to the people we are today. And that really has helped us cope with with stressors. Great. Aziza, how have you dealt with the disappointment or a failure and come back? My first disappointment was when we were trying to find sponsorship for our first competition in the dance sport as our federation is very young in my country. And before, there was not dance sport federations, like, like dance as a sport, not as a simple dance. We were faced with some of the difficulties. When we started to find sponsorship from the big companies, especially on that moment, it was from the mobile company, our huge mobile company in Tajikistan. They said, you're so young, and you're so young girl, he said, how can you manage this kind of competition? That was the first disappointment. And I was very sad from that. But we didn't put all things like doing nothing. We started to find another sponsors. And when we found another sponsors, this company from mobile, they called us and invited us again to talk about this project. So they saw that the project is going well and everything is fine. They started to be more seriously thinking about this project. And it was like feeling success. That's after disappointment. That is great. Fatima? Actually, I have the same identical story as Aziza. When I started Google, Pakistan, everyone wanted to be part of it. So we were looking for sponsors because our first three events were very successful. We ran out of money. We wanted sponsors. So this biscuit company approached us. They said, we love what you're doing. Oh my God, you're empowering women. Oh, you're going to be huge. We want to invest in everything. But they said we have to do something different. And I asked them what? He said, why don't you involve boys too? So I said, well, what about women empowerment? He said, well, we can do both together. And I said, no, I don't want to do that. I do not want to involve boys. They're like, well, we're not going to get any media attention. I guess what they were right. I did not get any more sponsors after that. So I haven't overcome that, but I'm still on it. I'm not giving up. And we will still pay with girls only. Boys can do some other things. I don't know. All right, we have a question from our viewing group in Bishkek. What are some of the differences between team sports and individual sports? Lisa, I'll go to you first. What are some of the differences between team sports and individual sports, please? The difference is in competitions, but that is only the difference like when you work individually or you work in the team. But it is not in the general. If when you work in the general in this sport, that it doesn't depend. Are you will be in competition individually on the team? You are working with a team because you're working with your teacher, with your coach. You are working, working with the partners who are training with you together in one gym. So it is a team work. And if you are team worker, then you can also be more successful individually. If you are not team worker, it will not help you. And it doesn't depend. Are you will be will you be individually in the competition or in the team? All right. Thank you very much. Now, for Nungshin Tashi, a question from our viewing group in Chennai. What inspired you to take up mountaineering and how old were you when you started? What inspires you and how old were you? Thank you. Well, what inspires us? Well, it definitely is our dad who has been our greatest mentor in life. He instilled the value of sports in us right from our early childhood. Because you see the, you know, when you're young, we are at a very impressionable age. And by growing up seeing dad's active interest in our doors and sports, we kind of imbibe sports as a way of life. Now we realize how important, you know, a role, parents and family play in shaping our life, including playing sports, especially as girls. So we were initiated into the sport ironically by a dad himself, who kind of wanted us to go out of our comfort zones and learn a lot about ourselves, you know, by putting ourselves in physically and mentally challenging situations. And that's exactly what happened. But the reverse kind of, you know, the order kind of reversed, because as soon as we went for our first expedition, we come back saying that we wanted to climb Mount Everest. For him, that was a big shocker, because he saw this as only a one-off exposure. And for us, it was our deepest passion that was waiting to fit up like a volcano, you know, in the family. And I think apart from dad, I think it's also my sister. She's been slightly better in athletics and other sports. You know, I'm younger to her by 21 minutes. But everyone, I mean, even our parents think that I'm weaker. So I always wanted to beat her and in climbing, which demands highest mental toughness. I often do that better than her. And the very fact of us being twins, doing everything together, there's always a subtle competition that has greatly helped setting and achieving higher benchmarks in life, including sports. So I think that is how. And I think the second part of the question is how old were you when you started mountaineering? We were 17 years old when we were initiated into the sport. Yes. Okay. Great. Now a question, another question from Chennai. What role models do you look up to currently or have looked up to in the past? I think Nangshi and Tashi, you mentioned your father, but maybe there are some other role models and then we'll move to Aziz after you. I think, well, you know, unfortunately, India, you know, we're not an outdoor nation and girls are completely left out of sports, you know, especially adventure sports and mountaineering. But I think, you know, our inspiration have been our instructors back in the Nehru Institute of mountaineering where we first took our training. And then, you know, it was because of them who said that, you know, you're really tough. You have an immense capacity to climb mountains. So I think that sort of, you know, came about from where we started. But having said that, I mean, our father is a person we look up for an inspiration, having broken all the barriers. And the questions society had for our dad, you know, I mean, they would often say, you only have twin daughters, didn't you try for a son? And having broken that stereotype right in the beginning, I think for us it was very important to see our father as a role model who has shaped our ideology of how to, you know, encourage more women to get out and bring them up. But I mean, we can't forget, you know, like Tashi said, our mom appears and our instructors because I think they are the biggest mentors then in life because, you know, they kind of shape our life in a way that is more productive, it's more beautiful to enjoy. So it's kind of like a journey in which, you know, these people keep playing a very positive role and they act as great mentors in life. And we'd like to congratulate, in fact, the Global Sports Mentoring Program because they do a phenomenal job of getting like-minded people, especially women, you know, out there and engage them into sports. Aziza, what about for you? Can you, sorry, repeat the question? Yes, what role models have you had that you've looked up to? Or that you've looked up to in the past or that you look up to now? What role models do you have? Models. Role models, somebody who you look to. Okay, people who are motivated. Yes. Okay, I understand, sorry. The first person who motivated me and my sister doing sports, it is my mother because when she was young and she wanted to do sports, her parents doesn't allow her. They said that that is not things for girls. My country is a democratic country but anyway, most of people are Muslim and that is why people are not looking so in a positive manner for girls doing special martial arts. But my mother wanted us to be more confident and to learn self-defense, how to use your strengths for self-defense in yourself. That is why she motivated us to do sports and I'm very thankful for her that we started to be in the sport. It was in the past. Then after, the second moment in my life was my participation in the Global Sports Mentoring Program. That was in the first time when we started our dance board federation and it was like a very good moment for me to believe in my goal, to believe in my idea to continue this. After passing this program, I started to think big and not afraid to think big and to do your things that you put for the goal. Fatima, who was your role model? I absolutely have to agree with the girls. GSMP did change our life and I think everyone there was a mentor. Even all the mentees were mentors. We learned so much from everyone but actually my role model is Robin Roberts and those of you who don't know her, she was a sports broadcast at ESPN. She started a long time back when people did not accept women as sports anchors and analysts and she did her job and she was amazing at it. Through her broadcasting, she did change women's lives. She did contribute to women's basketball playing so I really look up to her. Every day she went, she used to sign off her show. She used to say, go on with your bad self. I mean, that's amazing. That's great. Okay, we've got a question from our viewing group in Dushan Bay. What would you advise girls who really want to do sports but can't convince their parents or relatives to support them? I think you've all talked about the important role your parents have played in your sports careers. So what advice would you give to girls who don't get that same support from their parents or relatives? Why don't we go to Aziza please? It is a very good question because actually we are facing with this situation. From my students in the team which we are making their people who are good in the dances, making them preparing for the championships and for the teaching, they're starting to come to me and complain that their parents are not allowing them to come to the dance, especially from girls more, but we have sometimes from boys also this situation. Then we're trying to talk with the parents the first step. Talk with the parents and trying to explain them that it is not just like a simple hobby and it is very important for their children to come to this sport and to have opportunity for them to do things that they love to do. And it is very effective even for their study at the university and the school. When children are satisfied and they feel that they have somewhere where they can come and do things that they love, it is very good motivation for them to study better, doing more homeworks and step by step parents can starting to understand. If parents are not supporting you, my advice is to come to your teacher first and trying to connect them, trying to connect teacher and the parents together so they can play together and understand each other. Great. I'm going to now move to a question from our viewing group and Kandee Sri Lanka. How do you manage studies and engage in sports when schools put a lot of emphasis on passing exams so it's balancing school, education and sports? I think, why don't we go to Nangshutashi since you were 17 when you really got involved in mountaineering. That's a very interesting question. There's a very popular saying that women are very good at multitasking. Not to forget that boys are also an important part of the society and this question could be from anyone, anywhere, anytime. One of the things that we believe is pivotal in making a good balance between life and work and sports is how you prioritize your things, what's most important to you. Because our father always told us that if there's something that is very deep in your heart, whether it's sport or you kind of give more priority to your studies, you will take out time for it and commit to the kind of work required for it. So even if it was about passing the most important examination in India, which is the 10th board's exams, I remember dad woke us up at like five o'clock in the morning, said you have to go for your regular job and that you can't compromise in your health and fitness. So it's really about prioritizing putting something really out there on a very high platform and really backing up with commitment. In fact, I mean, during my 12th, which is a final high school examination, I taught my class with an 96% and that I think is also to do with, like my sister said, prioritizing how you do it. And once you set your mind to it, I think you can achieve it and that's what we've learned during our whole journey of climbing these mountains too. And if you set a target, if you have a goal, no matter how many struggles come your way, you know, it sort of eludes you. So you've got to set the priorities right. Alright, that's great. I've got another question for Aziza from our viewing group in Mumbai. And that's, it's dance taken seriously when you talk about the sport of dancing. You mentioned how it was, you started getting that recognized into Jigistan. There are other activities like yoga, which don't always fall under playing a sport, but there are physical activities with similar benefits. So how do you expand the idea of what is a sport? Does that make sense? How do you, how does you get dance accepted as a sport? How do you expand that idea of what is a sport, please? That was started from me in the sport in the martial arts. And when I starting to be as a fitness culture for dancer size, I've got the idea that dance is not so easy as many people think about it. In a way, dance is really tough sport. It is not easy. And then we started to make more competitions, especially for kids, showing that it is not easy way sport. It is hard working. And you also can starting to be more in discipline, time management. You understand that now at eight o'clock you have to go to the gym for training after that going to study and after that coming for the training again. So it is a sport. It is not a hobby. And we started to show it by doing more competitions. Okay. All right. All right. Now, this is a question from our viewing group in Chennai. Can you talk about the role nutrition plays in sports advancement? All right, let's go to Naxi Tashi first, nutrition. Well, nutrition is a very important aspect of any sports or any activities that you do outdoors. When we got into climbing, we realized that we were perhaps missing the essential knowledge about the kind of intake we needed to take in terms of calories or carbohydrates or proteins or fat, but all these things really add up to our performance. So nutrition is directly related to your performance on the field, on the field ground. And it's really important to map out some of the most important nutritional food products that you can take. Very centric to different sports like mountaineering could be high intake in carbohydrates and other sports could be really high in protein, could demand a very high intake in protein. So really understanding what food is important for their kind of sport is a very important aspect to any sporting activities. And one must remember that without proper nutrition, our performance cannot be enhanced. Everything is directly linked to the food we take. We are kind of like a plant. The more you water, the more you feed it, the better you grow. Aziza, let me turn to Aziza now, okay. Aziza, do you want to add on? I totally agree with sisters. It is very important. And for example, if you're turning a lot in the dances and if you didn't go to breakfast, for example, you cannot do this. It's in the proper way. So also, food is very important and taking proper food in time. It is very important also. Alright, let me turn to Fatima for her. Actually, I don't play sports, but I know because I've been reporting about this, a lot of these bodybuilders and athletes have lost their lives because they've been taking performance enhancing drugs. And it just breaks my heart. There's no awareness. And I think whoever is involved in sports should be taught about this. There should be workshops telling you that you do not need performance enhancing drugs. And also you need to eat. If you need to play, you need to eat, eat right. And I think that's really the main focus. But let's not lose lives over steroids and other performance enhancing drugs. Thank you. Very good. All right, we also now have a question from the American Corner and Jafna Sri Lanka. What motivated you to be in sports for such a long time? Let's go to Nungshitashi, please. What motivated you to be in sports for such a long time? Yeah, I think, well, luckily for us, I mean, you know, dad has always spoken about the value of sports in leading holistic, I mean, holistic life. And as an integral component of education. So I mean, it's really good to be actively involved in formally playing various sports. And that's how we keep ourselves motivated is the fact that it helps you build a lot of, you know, confidence, you know, instills a lot of good values. And then you respect yourself even more. So I think it's a combination of a lot of things. Great. Aziza, what motivated you? And the thing is what motivated me, keeping me motivated to continue my work. It is that I didn't done all things that I plan to do. I have my plan. So I have to achieve my goals. And that is why I'm keeping myself motivated to continue and to achieve these goals. That's fantastic. All right, I'm going to go to the Karachi audience for one more time and ask you to please remember to keep the mic away from your mouth. Hello, this is me Zenit. And I have a question that why are there fewer opportunities for women than men in professionals post? Anyone has a question? Like anyone. All right. Why don't we start with Aziza? Why are there less opportunities for women in professional sports? I don't think that generally in the worldwide it is the same situation which is in Asia. I think sisters can understand me because our history, our traditions and religion of our people show this situation for us. But right now people like all us, we are breaking this very, very old opinion of people that girls have to be less than boys. And every girl who are going right now in India, in Pakistan, in Tajikistan, in all Asian countries to sports, starting to do football, basketball, dance, that doesn't matter. She's breaking this opinion. And we are very, I'm very thankful for these girls and for these parents who are loving girls going to sports. Thank you very much Aziza. Let me go to Fatima now. I think that I agree with Aziza. Our traditions and norms are one of the biggest reason why there are few opportunities. But then again, there are opportunities. It's just that we need to explore them. We need to break barriers. We need to find out where the opportunities are. And also media plays a big role. If media starts, and all these sponsors, if they start sponsoring women only events, there will be more opportunities. You know, when I went to cover Pakistan Super League in Dubai, we were only two women. But you see, it's a change. Back in the days, no women would go out and report. So they are options. It's just that I was underselling myself. So you need to find out, you need to explore that opportunity. You need to make an opportunity for yourself. Great. Nogshin Tashi, we've got a question from Bishkek, our viewing audience in Bishkek. I'm going to pretend like I'm from Bishkek. I consider mountaineering one of the most dangerous sports. Actually, I do too. But why did you choose this sport? Well, well, well, that's a very cool question. So, you know, I feel, because Tashi and I were initiated into the sport, and we kind of realized that it was so much of a journey for us, rather than the ultimate result, rather than the destination. It was so much about the journey. And because we felt that we could truly understand ourselves, we could understand what our meaning was in life, because those are the questions that one is always looking to answer. Why do we exist? Why do we have like what is our role in this Mother Earth? And mountaineering is a sport that has been perceived in most of our Asian countries as being a male dominant sport. It is risky, yes. But, you know, there could be anything else that could be as risky as mountaineering. But it sort of gives us the, you know, the platform to sort of showcase that, you know, women are no less. And that if given a chance, if given an opportunity, we can do great wonders as men and boys do. So it's really about breaking and shattering those stereotypes. And why mountaineering, even though it's a dangerous sport, is because that's one sport that gives us a high adrenaline rush in life. And that really helps us, you know, overcome fears and truly discover our true self, like any other sport. That's great. Now a question from Chennai. How or what source did you get the courage to stand up to boys who are normally regarded as superior to women in sports? How did you get the courage to stand up to the boys? Aziza. I learned this from the martial arts when I was in Taekwondo. And you are staying face to face with the boys during your trainings. And doesn't matter you are a girl or you are a boy, you are facing together and doing sparring. So that moment teach me how to be confident facing with the boys in the sports. That experience helped me right now also. Alright, that's good. And Nungshi and Tashi? Well, honestly speaking, this is one thing because mountaineering has really taught us that it does not discriminate based on gender. It does not know whether you're a woman or you're a man trying to climb a mountain. The kind of challenges it poses is just equal no matter where you are from. There are no boundaries that are taken into consideration. So when we have to face our men compatriots or even guys, it's almost like saying that we are a part of the equal game. We kind of coexist because although we talk about women and girls, we also feel that it's important that the men also participate. But what we perhaps lack is that opportunity that we could all be on the same platform. But really understanding that we are human being first and then the other identities of being a girl or a man, whatever. And that's a secondary thing. So really taking in our identity as being human being first and really going on these missions and doing different sports is what really gets us going. Okay, great. You all three of the panelists have spoken really a lot about the ESPNW, the global mentoring program and how much it meant to all of you. How are you using what you learned in that program to help your communities? And Fashman, you've talked a little bit about Go Girls. Pakistan, why don't you talk a bit more please? Absolutely. The global sports mentoring program made me what I am today, even though I was a journalist when I joined GSMP, they just gave us the courage to make a difference. And that's when Google Pakistan was designed. It was designed to change the whole sporting scene in Pakistan where women actually don't go out and play sports. So they gave us time, they mentored us, they taught us how we can make a difference. I know it's a small difference, but we've actually made a huge difference. A lot of girls still call me and ask me when will be the next clinic. Giving football to girls who've never played football before, that is an achievement. And all of this was a gift by GSMP. They just taught us how to make a difference. And I hope everyone, especially the girls sitting there, I hope you get a chance to have a mentor. We don't talk about this in Pakistan, but it's so important to have a mentor. So the biggest gift they gave us was to have a mentor, definitely. Great. Okay, Aziza, how are you using what you learned in that program to help your community? The first results after coming from GSMP was doing a live, our action plans. We did these action plans in US during the program. And first it was helped us to make our action plans alive. And the second, my experience in my mentor company, it was USA Gymnastics Federation in USA. Of course that development, too much going in the future when I put it with my country. But step by step, I'm doing all the things that I learned from USA Gymnastics. I'm doing an awesome job and me and my sister are trying to make their experience in my federation. And it is going well. I'm very thankful for my experience from that mentor. Great. And Nungshi, Tashi? Well, we've decided to make a beginning with our Nungshi Tashi Foundation. That sort of aims to empower women and girls through outdoor sports and livelihoods. And I think personally we feel that strong women have the capacity and the power to shape our communities and quite literally change the world. So we've started a beginning with that. And what we really wish to do is we particularly targeting the Indian Himalayan region, which is seeing large scale economic migration to plains, making girls even more vulnerable. So we are imparting vocational skills related to adventure tourism and helping these girls start micro enterprises as timbers, guides, trainers, as well as hosting backpackers in their traditional homes. So this is one big project that we are working on and we don't doubt that there will be more girls and women who come outdoors and make a difference. Yeah. Okay. We are almost out of time. So just one last question if you could answer really quickly. As a follow up, how can people watching today create projects of their own to help their communities? Who wants to go first? Nungshi Tashi, what advice do you have for people watching today to get involved in their communities? Well, one of the best things is to start now. I mean, if you have never thought about it, start thinking and if you're in the thinking process, probably try and learn from already existing organizations, people who are actively involved in sports or in a field that you're really interested in. So really looking for real life examples from your community would be a great way to start. Join the GSMP for all I know because it's a life changing experience and most would agree to that and really get involved actively in your community. Because if you educate yourself and you get involved, you'll try and spread that message with other girls and women and people around you. And then it'll sort of become a great web of people wanting to do the same thing. So really learn from existing organizations. Thank you. And Fatima, quickly please. I think that if you're still in school, you can make a difference by just making a girl's team, a girl's soccer team or a girl's hockey team. And just make a difference by doing that. Just make a small team and see how it goes. Get all the girls. And of course, with the sisters, you need to get in touch with people already doing this work. If you're in Pakistan, contact us. Contact Google. Pakistan will help you. We can be online. We'll help you find out how you can make a difference. And the first difference you can make is start at home. Even if it won't make a team with your sister. Look at the sisters. They climb Mount Everest. You can do it at home. Super. Azizal, any last words about your advice? Don't think that it is not your time. Don't waste your time. Start right now. And start with the small things, as my sister says. And then you can expand. Wow. Okay. I am so bummed that, but unfortunately we are out of time. But before we go, I would like to thank our wonderful panelists for participating in today's program. To Fatpa, to Nungshitashi, to Aziza and Rabia on Twitter. I would also like to thank our online viewing audience for your great questions and for participating. This was a terrific discussion. And I also want to thank our folks back in Washington at the State Department who helped us pull it off. And for those of you who might have missed the first part of this program, come back to this page tomorrow to watch the full program on demand. And thank you to everybody. Have a great day.